Kevin, Terry,
I do not foresee second thoughts of trepidation on this solo hunt, probably not intelligent enough to know when I should have them.
First, A little perspective. A typical moose hunt for most is to fly to the Alaskan interior in one or two days, be dropped into some remote place or on a river, hunt for ten-twelve days , then be picked up, and be back into the comforts of or home fourteen-sixteen days later. When my grandfather went to Alaska during the gold rush in 1899, he was gone for two years prospecting throughout the Alaskan interior. Being in the Alaska wilderness by myself for a couple of weeks pales in comparison.
How I started big game hunting, falls under the heading of probably not intelligent enough to know when I should have second thoughts or trepidation's of hunting solo. Not recommended for the masses. At the age of 26, I decided I wanted to go mule deer hunting, drove to the edge of the Frank Church Wilderness in Idaho two hours before hunting light. Put four MRE’s, a mini mag flashlight, and Army surplus poncho into the pockets of my BDU pants and coat, verified the Buck 110 was on my belt, shouldered the rifle, and started the five mile cross country hike for a four day hunt. Never took much more equipment then that when big game hunting for the next four or five years. A lot of things we take into the woods make it more comfortable and easier, but really are not essential for a successful hunt…..IF you have the prerequisite skills, mindset, and confidence.
Some insight. My purpose is not to try and dominate moose or the wilderness, rather it is, for a short time, to immerse myself in the entire experience. Personally, it is much easier to immerse myself when alone. Most people prefer to share the experience with somebody, there is nothing wrong with that. Having always been a loner, especially when it comes to hunting, I prefer doing it solo. While growing up participating in team sports were the norm for me, however I excelled at Wrestling, an individual sport. Traditional Bowhunting, like wrestling, is up close and personal, everything is on me, nobody else, no excuses, just me and the critter. That is partly why I bowhunt, with my weapon of choice being a selfbow. It is not that I do not enjoy other people, I do. Ask anybody who has seen/met at a PBS or TBM convention. Just not so much when I am hunting. Many do not understand this, they might consider it wrong, or even selfish. Maybe this solo hunt is being selfish. Should I again be taking someone younger, mentoring them, passing on some of the woodsmanship and knowledge that others willingly shared with me? Kevin and Bryan have unselfishly taken newbies Alaska moose hunting the over past few years, sharing their camps, woodmanship, moose hunting skills, and comradery. I find that admirable.
My plan in 2012 was to go solo but my friend and hunting partner Dave really wanted to go. In 2016 the plan was to go solo but it ended up as a chance to expose Hunter to the Alaskan bush and moose hunting. In 2018 the plan was to go solo, but my friend and hunting partner Lenny wanted to go. Dave and Lenny both offered to go on this hunt. Hunter wants to go but is in his final year of veterinary school and cannot miss classes. All three are really good hunting partners and normally welcome on any hunt. There have been over three dozen requests in the last year and a half from others wanting to join me on this hunt. A lot of people want to hunt Alaskan moose, but understandably, prefer to go with somebody who has done it before. Most will never hunt Alaskan moose. Guess I am being selfish this time.
Another side to the equation, by no means am I a good hunting companion. Most friends or relatives brave enough (or foolish enough) to spend seven to ten days in the back country with me will tell you around the third day my temperament gets moody, conversations get shorter, my time spent in camp gets less each day. Unless they know me well, they frequently think they may have done something wrong, offended me somehow; most often they have not. Those who know me, think silently it is Walt being Walt. Honestly, by the end of the trip, if I were them, I would have whacked me up the side of the head with a log for being an unbearable jerk.
Frequently my wife reminds me the rest of the world does not think like me, reminding me my mind works differently from most others. When told, from my perspective it does not mean my mind is good or bad, right or wrong, it is simply different, she gives me THAT LOOK which silently conveys the message You Are an Idiot, while quickly verifying my life insurance is paid up. At times, some of my hunting partners give me that same look.
Sometimes getting THAT LOOK is all that is needed to inspire the next Alaskan moose hunt.
Topic: Yukon Moose DIY (Read 7963 times)
